Weekly Newsletter: 11th August, 2017

Tanzania Ruvuma Peaberry

Last week there was no newsletter, because we were out of town. We continued our national park tour and took the kids to see Craters of the Moon, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone. Craters of the Moon was new to all of us, and it was interesting to see the piles of lava and think about the early pioneers trying to find a way around them. It’s a desolate landscape surrounded by sagebrush desert–but that certainly made us appreciate the evergreens and mountains when we found them. Driving the Swan Valley Highway through waving golden wheat rising to rolling hills, with the Snake River winding below, was the first of many spectacular scenes last week.

Our hike to Hidden Falls

We went from there over the Teton pass, surrounded by wildflowers, and dropped into Jackson Hole. Trace and I have both been there before, but it is always a gorgeous sight. Driving up the valley we saw elk, pronghorn antelope, bison, and even a bald eagle. Most of our time was spent at the Grand Tetons, where we camped for the week. We went to Yellowstone for a very full and scenic day, but the sheer number of people was a bit overwhelming. The features are unique, and the kids especially liked the geysers and the other geothermal features, as well as the waterfalls and the wildlife.

Each morning of our trip we brewed a French press of our own coffee, and enjoyed it while sitting around the morning campfire. It helped me to function better–and despite the heatwave at home all of our mornings were cool enough to especially appreciate it. Last week our Costa Rica Coopedota Yellow Honey was on special, from the world’s first carbon-neutral coffee producer– and we’ll leave it on sale since it didn’t get featured last week.

This week we have our Tanzanian Peaberry for you to try. It is always a popular brew, with the “peaberry” referring to the fact that only one bean grows inside the coffee cherry. That makes for a smaller bean, with a higher caffeine content. These small beans are carefully separated by hand. This particular coffee comes from the Mbinga district, in the far southwest of the country, in the Ruvuma region. It is bordered on one side by Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa). The beans are processed by Soochak Bush and Tropex, two companies that have come together to improve coffee in this area.

The result is a beautiful light roast coffee, tasting of fresh citrus tones. It has enough kick to get you going, and the bright acidity also works well in an iced coffee. You can try a cup on us this week with the code Grand Tetons*. For the next few days, the Nevada County Fair is going on–such fun–and then next week school starts, at least for some. We thoroughly enjoyed attending the fair yesterday, and highly recommend it. I always enjoy seeing the animals and the exhibits, and the kids love the rides. However you spend your weekend, drink good coffee. Cheers!